


The FMS Northern Star

by wilddragonflying



Series: Fallout Fic [11]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, FMS Northern Star, fixing some things that made me sad in the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 01:20:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17478578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wilddragonflying/pseuds/wilddragonflying
Summary: Kaili proves she's still worthy of being the General.





	The FMS Northern Star

“Hey, Preston.”

The Minuteman came up next to his General, looking at her expectantly. The Castle was much improved over the sorry sight it had been when they’d first cleared out the mirelurks, with repaired walls and upgraded defenses – including more of the missile turrets that Kaili was exceedingly fond of. Anyone who wanted to attack the Castle would have to be equally stupid or in possession of a death wish. Right now they’re on the south wall, and Kaili is looking out over the wasteland.

“Have you ever been to that wreck?” Kaili asks him, nodding towards the stranded freighter in the distance. It takes Preston a moment to place it, and then he shakes his head.

“No; it’s to the west of Quincy, but Raiders own it; anyone who went near it got a bullet for their troubles, and half of them got it in their heads.”

Kaili nods; her expression is thoughtful, a slight frown creasing her brow. “I need to head down there for the Railroad; apparently the leader of that gang’s been threatening some of the routes,” she confides, voice quiet. “I’m not looking forward to it; I hate ops inside of ships.”

Preston’s mouth twists into a frown. “I guess we’re going to head out, then?”

“Yeah,” Kaili answers, pulling out Deliverer and checking her ammo. “Let’s grab some more ammo from Ronnie first, and then we’ll go.”

* * *

“I don’t like this,” Kaili confesses in a whisper, eyeing the looming wreck in front of them warily. “There’s no one on the ground, no patrols on the deck, nothing.”

Now that she mentioned it, they’d never had an easier approach to a raider base – usually Kaili had to pull out Tinker Tom’s Special to pick off the guards by now, but here they were within spitting distance of the hull, and besides the quiet ticking of the Geiger counter on Kaili’s Pip-Boy, there was… nothing. If not for the occasional murmur of conversation from above, Preston would think that the Railroad’s intel was outdated, and this place had been abandoned.

“Switch to your pistol, stay behind me, and stay alert,” Kaili orders, voice still hushed to a murmur. Preston obeys the General without question, following behind but making sure to keep an ear out.

It’s worryingly easy to keep from being seen as they make their way up the ramps that the raiders obviously use to go to and from the deck, and they’ve barely made it to the deck when Kaili is backing up, forcing Preston back as well. It’s only long experience with the General that keeps Preston from asking what’s going on – and a moment later, he gets the answer to his unasked question.

“ _En anden rad storm kommer._ ”

Preston exchanges a look with Kaili, and he can tell that they’re both thinking the same thing:  _That wasn’t English._

Kaili gestures back down the ramp, and this time Preston leads the way with Kaili watching his six until they’re well out of range of the wreck. “What on Earth?” Preston demands as soon as it’s safe to talk again.

“The one I saw was a ghoul,” Kaili says. “I’m willing to bet he was one of the original sailors, and that ship says it’s the FMS Northern Star, written in English, but the crew was changed somewhere overseas. Maybe it was bought by a foreign company, I don’t know, but there is no way in hell I’m going in there guns blazing and attacking someone I can’t talk to.”

“No, I understand that,” Preston says, nodding. “But the fact is, someone is messing with the Railroad’s routes. So what are you going to do?”

Kaili’s quiet for a moment, obviously thinking, and then she snaps her fingers. “The Brotherhood.”

“The egotistical bastards you don’t like?” Preston asks, eyebrow raised.

“I don’t like it, but I saw a prewar translator in Proctor Quinlan’s section of the Prydwen, and I hope it has whatever language those raiders are speaking on it.”

Preston shrugs. “All right. Let’s head out, then.”

* * *

“You want to take my translator and then  _leave it_  with a group of  _ghouls_?”

Kaili doesn’t back down from the indignant scribe. “I do,” she says. “I know where you can find another one, but I don’t have the tech to repair it myself. It requires specialized prewar tech, like the kind you have on board here.”

Quinlan scowls. “You’re proposing an uneven trade.”

“There’s a lot of other prewar tech in the ruins where the translator is – and I’ll get it for you myself. You won’t have anything other than repair time in this, and it saves the Brotherhood the trouble of taking out a potential problem.”

Quinlan’s scowl deepens, but whatever he’s about to say is cut off by the arrival of a redheaded Paladin. “Proctor Quinlan, the scribes on the lower deck need you,” she reports, then catches sight of Kaili. “Oh, Kaili – I didn’t realize you were here. What’re you doing?”

“Trying to get this mobile translator off of Proctor Quinlan,” Kaili answers, giving Rebecca a smile that’s more like a grimace. Sometimes she really,  _really_  hated the Brotherhood and its strict adherence to the rules and the fussbodies it creates.

“Translator? Why do you want a translator?” Rebecca asks, curious.

“I met a group of settlers that don’t speak English, why do you think?” Kaili snaps, frustration boiling over and making her take it out on her niece(easier to call her that than include the generational difference).

“I think Proctor Quinlan needs to just let you have it,” Rebecca says, unfazed by her aunt’s outburst. “It’s not like it’s the only translator in existence, or even the only one we have. We can spare a translator. Did you clear it with Maxson?”

This time it’s Quinlan who answers. “Yes, but Maxson is not the last word on the technology, I am,” the head scribe snaps. Then he sighs. “You won’t give up, will you?”

Kaili shrugs. “I could always just nick it,” she points out.

Quinlan glares at her. “Fine,” he grits out. “Fine. Just – you  _will_  be retrieving that replacement for me.”

“Of course,” Kaili says, giving him a smile that’s far too sweet. “You’ll get your replacement.”

Eventually.

* * *

Rebecca had decided to accompany her, and Kaili wasn’t completely averse to that, it was just – Rebecca was Brotherhood. Had been for over a decade by this point, and the attitude was something that wasn’t easily set aside. They made a detour to pick up Preston from the Castle as well as speak with the radio operator to pick up the latest information on settlements that needed help. Rebecca whistles as they approach the Castle, and Kaili can’t help but grin proudly.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?”

“You have a thing for heavy firepower, don’t you?”

Kaili laughs. “Yes, I do,” she admits as they start up the ramp leading to the only entrance in and out of the Castle. “I’m also a huge fan of impenetrable walls and limited entrances. I like being able to control the battlefields.”

“Limited entrances mean limited exits,” Rebecca observes.

“Which is why every settler in here is armed, not to mention all of the Minutemen as well,” Kaili counters. “Target practice is mandatory, and should anything ever make it into the Castle, they’ll be met with a lot more than they bargained for.”

Rebecca hums thoughtfully, taking in Kaili’s set up as the General takes care of her business; it is impressive, despite what Rebecca thinks about the number of entrances. The paladin observes her relative with a critical eye, thinking that some of the muttered complaints about her on the Prydwen – though certainly true in some regards, such as Kaili’s utterly unimpressed attitude with self-important Knights – had obviously come from people who had never seen her out in the Commonwealth. Kaili carries herself with a confidence borne of experience, of knowing that she’s been through the worst that the world could throw at her and she came out on the other side victorious, regardless of the price. It’s a confidence that says its owner has been tested over and over again, and none of the testers won.

Rebecca’s seen the holotapes, she’s read the articles; anything that was made public(and a few things that were confidential) about her aunt’s career before the bombs dropped, she knows about. She knows something about what happened to Kaili, what she went through, and what she saw. Kaili’s confidence is well-earned and hard-won.

It’s clear she’s also earned the respect of the people of the Commonwealth, if the actions of the settlers and Minutemen she passes on her way to take care of her business in the Castle are anything to go by. The Minutemen snap off salutes that are almost sharp enough to meet the Brotherhood’s standards, and the settlers, the ones tending crops and animals, all nod respectfully, a few stopping her to talk. Kaili listens to each, nodding and responding.

“She sure is something, isn’t she?” Rebecca startles at the unexpected voice, turning to find a man in blue coveralls standing next to her with a grin on his face. “Sturges, at your service. You must be Miss Rebecca, eh? You look a lot like your aunt.”

“Yes, I am,” Rebecca says, offering her hand to shake. “You know Kaili, then?”

“Oh, sure. She saved our little group’s collective ass about a day after she popped out of that Vault; hell, she still had frost in her hair when she showed up in Concord and took out the raiders that had us pinned like she was swatting flies. Should have seen her in that old suit of power armor, too. Cursing up a storm and ripping into a deathclaw with a mini gun, it made an impression.”

“And what impression was that?” Rebecca asks, unable to help herself.

“That this was a woman who didn’t care about her own life, but did care about others’,” Sturges answers. “She hasn’t done much to change that first impression, if I’m being honest with you.”

Rebecca thinks over the tales she’s heard from Danse and over the radio and from the occasional unit that Kaili had assisted while in the middle of her own travels, and has to concede the point. “It seems like she has a tendency to leap into situations without thinking.”

“Oh no, she thinks,” Sturges disagrees. “She just disregards any possible bad outcomes. I’d have sworn you couldn’t wipe out a whole super mutant hole without at least five people, but she’s done it with two, and Preston only got off a few shots the whole time. And who knows what she gets up to when she and Dogmeat go off alone.”

“She goes alone?” Rebecca asks sharply. “And you people  _let_  her?”

“It’s not like we can stop her,” Sturges protests. “You’ve obviously never tried to track her while she’s trying not to be seen. And we tend not to worry overly much; she keeps in touch with Radio Freedom, and she can take care of herself. Sharpest eyes I’ve ever seen, and damn good with a rifle.”

“She is good with that,” Rebecca admits reluctantly. “I suppose you could say she almost has a self-destructive tendency.”

“Almost, but not quite. She helps people whenever she can, and Preston’s said he’s seen her do work for free that mercs would charge big caps for, and bring back some valuable loot for the settlement besides. She does have an unfortunate tendency to shoot first, ask questions later, and throw herself in harm’s way to help someone else. It inspires a lot of loyalty and the rumors of an immortal General are certainly helping the Minutemen keep the peace, but it doesn’t do our hearts a whole lot of good. Especially not Preston’s,” Sturges confides. “He’s got a bit of a thing for Kaili, though she’s involved with – “

“A ghoul,” Rebecca says flatly. “She’s fucking a ghoul.”

“Enthusiastically, if the noises are anything to go by,” Sturges agrees. “But her reckless behavior is heart attack-inducing.”

Rebecca opens her mouth to respond, but then she catches sight of Kaili heading back towards her,a dark-skinned man in tow that she assumes is Preston Garvey. Instead, she gives Sturges a nod and accepts the lazy salute the mechanic tosses her way before moving to stand next to the gate, waiting for the other two to reach her. The three of them leave the Castle with little fanfare other than a few calls of “Good luck,” and begin the trek down the coast to the FMS Northern Star. It’s mostly walking through boot-sucking muck, but Kaili seems supremely unconcerned.

“I’d swim the whole way if it was just me,” she points out when Rebecca makes a face at getting mud down her boots. “Quicker and less dangerous, oddly enough.”

“Feel free; I’m not jumping into that rad-soaked water,” Rebecca retorts, earning a laugh from the companions.

“It’s not that far,” Preston says reassuringly. “And we might run into a mirelurk or two, but that’ll be it.”

“Joy.”

* * *

They give the FMS Northern Star a wide berth as they inspect it, looking for a way to make contact that doesn’t involve popping in the back entrance and potentially getting a bullet for their troubles. Preston’s the one to notice the rigging on the bow of the ship, and the wires that lead from it to the ground. The trio approaches cautiously, and Kaili makes a triumphant noise when they realize the rigging is a lift, and that the lift itself is already on the ground. They duck under the shadow of the ship as Rebecca pulls the translator from her pack and they set it up. It’s a handheld device with a microphone attached – in all honesty, it looks like a radio with a much more basic Pip-Boy screen and interface. There’s a knob and two buttons near the screen(scrolling, selecting, and returning to the previous screen), and two buttons on the side of the radio, one labeled ‘receive’ and the other ‘transmit.’

It’s all self-contained and fairly self-explanatory, and Kaili scrolls through the language options, searching for a couple in particular. A bit of fiddling and repeating the phrase she and Preston had heard on their last trip to this place, and Kaili figures out that the ghouls are speaking Norwegian. “All right,” she says, and listens to the translator do its thing. “Let’s go up.”

Predictably, the ghouls don’t exactly react favorably to three strangers helping themselves to the ship’s lift, but their expressions go from furious to shocked when Kaili shouts, “Wait!” and the Norwegian equivalent bursts from the speakers of the translator. It’s probably the first time the ghouls have heard someone other than themselves speak their language, and it buys them time to ride the lift to the top of the ship, although none of them make a move to actually step onto the wrecked ship. “We don’t want to fight,” Kaili says, pausing so the translator can catch up. “We want to help.”

One of the ghouls steps forward, and Kaili has to stomp down on the instinct that wants to have her reaching for her gun; the whole crew is dressed in raider gear, although if what Kaili suspects is true, that isn’t surprising. Only raiders would be stupid enough to attempt to ransack a ship full of ghouls who were desperate to survive in this hostile foreign land. He spits something, and the translator provides, “ _Who are you? And what is that thing you carry?_ ”

“My name is Kaili,” she answers. “This is something that can help you understand us, and us understand you.”

Suspicion is writ plain across their faces, and no one speaks for a long moment; when the silence is broken, it’s by the same ghoul who spoke before. “ _You say you want to help us?_ ”

“Yes,” Kaili says instantly. “I am the leader of a group called the Minutemen, and our job is to help people. You’ve been stranded here for a very long time, haven’t you?”

“ _We saw the bombs fall,_ ” the ghoul confirms. “ _Our ship’s navigation and power were compromised, and we were run aground. We have been attacked many times over the years, and we dare not venture too far from our ship._ ”

“We are willing to give you this translator,” Kaili says. “The Minutemen want to help you; our base is the Castle, the building up to the north a little ways.” She points, and the ghouls all make sounds of recognition.

“ _We saw the giant creature that attacked that building, though thankfully it did not attack us,_ ” the leader says. “ _We also saw you – you_ Minutemen  _kill it and rebuild._ ” The group of ghouls share a glance then, and Kaili keeps her attention focused on them and not on her two companions, both of whom are fidgeting just enough to almost qualify as ‘distracting.’ After a long, tense moment, the leader turns back to Kaili. “ _My name is Eirik, and my crew accepts your offer of help._ ”

Kaili beams. “Hello, Eirik. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

* * *

It’s a very satisfied Kaili who leads the way into the nearby Quincy ruins to take out the raider who had been derailing the Railroad’s synth liberation routes; it’s child’s play to track him down, and laughably easy to eliminate his group. Neither Preston nor Kaili tell Rebecca  _why_ , exactly, they’re after this man, but Rebecca doesn’t seem to notice or care. When they’re on their way back to the Prydwen, Rebecca finally asks, “Why was it so important to you to help these ghouls?”

Kaili sighs; she’s been expecting something like this, and while she appreciates Rebecca keeping any sort of hostility out of her voice, instead only showing curiosity with a touch of concern, she still chooses her words with care. “Because they’re like me. They – They don’t have a way to get back to what they considered home. Their ship will never be seaworthy again, and we don’t have the technology to build a ship able to weather the storms they’re sure to encounter in the ocean on their way back. Who knows if the navigation satellites still work, or if they’d ever be able to find their homeland again. And me… I can’t travel back in time. This Commonwealth is my home now, but I can’t honestly say that, if given the chance, I wouldn’t travel back to before the bombs dropped, before Nate and I were shoved into cryo pods. Neither of us can go home, so we have to make the most of the situation we’re in.”

Rebecca’s quiet for a moment, absorbing Kaili’s answer, and then she nods. “Well, I can’t say that I like ghouls anymore, but I can respect your answer,” she says, and Kaili can’t help the snort that escapes.

“Thanks.”


End file.
